Forklift Safety Tip:
Common Causes Of Forklifts Tipping Over Sideways

Most sit down (counter balance) type forklifts have a narrow wheel base and can very easily be tipped over sideways.

Many operators have no idea how close their bad driving habits bring them to tipping the forklift over. A large number of accidents where forklifts roll over are caused by drivers trying to turn the forklift just a little faster than they usually do.

Their normal bad driving habits have them operating so close to tipping over that just a small change like going a few kilometers per hour faster than usual or having the load raised a little higher than normal can spell disaster.

Here are the most common causes of a forklift tipping over sideways:

• Turning at speed
• Driving over uneven surfaces
• Unevenly distributed load
• Driving with a flat, or under inflated tyre
• Driving too fast (loaded or unloaded)
• Turning with the load raised
• Braking too hard when cornering
• Side shift not centred

When two or more of the above mentioned causes are combined it is almost certainly a recipe for disaster.

This is why it’s important that operators are aware of these common causes so that they can prevent a rollover from happening. It’s also important for companies to highlight areas such as uneven surfaces, and places where operators are known to turn and travel fast so that procedures for operating safely can be established.

When it comes to forklift safety, good operating procedures should include: driving and turning at a safe speed, the correct way to travel on the various uneven surfaces on your site, how to distribute load weight, checking for under inflated tyres before use (where applicable), keeping the load below the front axle or as low as possible while traveling, how to stop or turn in an emergency and correct use of the side shift.

Hopefully you can use this information to prevent a role over from happening to you or your staff.

If you have any question relating to this or any other matter, please feel free to call me or email me

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